1956 Aquadream--guess it's a project after all

[hotrodprimer]

I am following this rebuild closely because this is the exact model I am looking for and I would also like to say you are doing a great job,,

I can only imagine the shock of finding out about the hidden problems but such is life and it just proves with hard work and determination you actually can make Chicken Salad outta Chicken Sheet!

[Gone Kayaking]

Made some good progress this weekend, but not without a snag or two.

De rusted, rust reformer and finish coat rustoleum on the frame.


Floor is in and done front and back.
Used 1/2 inch homasote with butyl window flashing (brand Forti flash) on the underside for weatherproofing (it has a 6 mil plastic bonded to butyl), then the standard 3/8 inch CDX plywood




All the side framing is done.


Held up the skin on both sides to make sure I hadn't goofed up anything. And dag nabbit, if the street side isn't sagging out of alignment about 1 inch in the back. Floor is level. windows line up, cargo door is off 1 inch. Gotta try to jack it up. Otherwise I'll just adjust it all.




Insulation is about half way done...using the pink stuff.

Got the first piece of birch in, yeah!!!!!!!!

[clutchburner]

Keep on going forward ! great job !

[tkcopley]

Great job! Wish the rain would stop so I can get busy again.

[Gone Kayaking]

Real Progress past few days.

The biggest thing is that I figured out how to fix the problem of the skin not aligning on the street side in the back. I'm betting this is a common problem with years of rot combined with removing the skin during a partial rebuild. I had a 1.5 inch difference between the floor height and the skin

where I started


Borrowed a couple of bottle jacks from our local tool lending library (every community should have one!!) and on the suggestion of a couple of VSTF members tried jacking up the back side of the trailer. First I screwed a 2x4 across the frame to hold it together and to give the jack something to push on. Then very easily lifted it 1.5 inches...no problem.



Checked the fit with the skin.....perfect. Had to reframe the baggage compartment area to match, and adjusted the runner board to fit. Still need to cut a new curved back frame.

Screwed in everything. lowered the jack, took off the 2x4, checked against the skin again....well a little slippage, but I'm not going to lose sleep over a quarter inch...I feel confident I can make it work.



no pictures, but I also fitted the birch in around the fantastic fan, got all of the curbside insulated, and dropped off the front and back skins at the sheet metal shop this morning on the way to work.
Friday a friend comes over to get the electrical squared away.

VTS called today and finally they have gaskets back in stock will ship Friday or Monday....Yeah!

Light at the end of the tunnel.

[LittleVintageTrailer]

Yeah! You are getting closer and the progress is fantastic! I'm thoroughly enjoying watching Aquadream transform.

[Gone Kayaking]

Could it really be raining again....sigh Really need to be out there working.....days to go!

[Gremlinguy]

Stupid rain here too.......

[Gone Kayaking]

Getting ready for the big trailer building birthday party! This is sort of like one of those HGTV shows without the experts but with all the friends madly helping get a big project done. Wonder how I could get the experts here too?
When it rains like this I make phone calls, and lists, and putter to keep from worrying about whether I will finish this thing on time.
Got a call from my sheet metal guy this afternoon. I had hoped that they could do the curve and the return on the back of my trailer (the curved canned ham end) He called to say he couldn't do the return and the bend without crimping the skin....what to do? told him I'd call him right back.
Well web to the rescue found...did a quick spin on our forum....no answers. Then came across www.retrorestoration.com/56shasta.htm and spoke with the owner Larry. Shared my aguadream tale and guess what....he's done nearly a dozen 55-57 reno's of 1500's and back then they did not have a return that overlaps the sides, the front and back met but didn't overlap.....they just covered it with a 90 deg piece of trim. When he reno's them he does add a return and says he does it by hand....and that it's a b...ch (technical trailer term) He says he has the sheet metal place cut the pieces about 2 inches too long to make up for things being out of square.

So I call the sheet metal guy back and much to his relief, tell him to forget about the return, just focus on the bend.

Boy I hope I can make this work. I hope some friends with skills and the minds of engineers show up at my party on Sunday.

Picked up drip rail from Allied trailer today.

Awning Fabric arrived and will look great! one of this weekend's projects

[Gone Kayaking]

Build a trailer Birthday bash update
As many of you know I turned 55 last weekend, as did my soon to be lovely 1956 shasta 1500. Figured I'd be working all weekend anyway, so decided to invite all my friends over to help me. Had a decent turnout (though I guess the idea of working on an old trailer isn't as appealing to all my friends as it is to me, lol) and got a fair bit of work done.



Lots of the metal polished...mothers mag polish vs diamond brite truck box polish....mothers mag wins!



Got the side frames fully completed and insulated. Used aluminum tape to seal the air gaps.


Used JB Weld and scraps to repair tears in the aluminum. (Had 3M 8115 panel bond but couldn't justify paying $50 for an applicator gun) used Gremlin Guy's method...worked great.


Picked up new front and back skins from moose metals in Concord CA (great folks). They had no prob with 6" brake. This is the front skin. It's .40.... and it's gonna be a b*&%h to trim and fit, but will be solid.



She's not gonna be ready for the Memorial Day weekend trip, but I'm feeling confident we can be on the road for our longer trip June 14! Sure did appreciate the help from all my friends!

[vikx]

Lookin' good!

[flyingham]

Great save on the baggage door floor/wall issue!

[Gone Kayaking]

getting there. Just got back from the Strawberry Music Festival up near Yosemite, which was supposed to be our maiden voyage. Saw a couple of compacts (both aluminum no paint) one pre 1960 canned ham shape one a 68 or so.

Lots of work to do in the next couple of weeks. Thanks for all the encouragement.

[Redwings]

My son almost went to that festival!

Next year you'll be the belle of the ball with Aquadream.

[mindy]

Where are you heading in June and how long?

[Gone Kayaking]

first to Colorado and then Wyoming, after that probably idaho and either back to CA or through oregon and back to CA. Will be up to WA in second week of August

[Gone Kayaking]

Update June 17, 2011---final stretch.
Lots has been done but still more to do .

Got a 12v and 110 system set up just waiting for battery, charger/maintainer/converter and inverter to make her all go.


All rough inside framing and paneling is done all it needs is trim pieces and stain.




Outside is framed, wired, insulated


Skin is all cut, fabricated and ready to install.....Sides are on.
today or tomorrow for front and back I hope!

Windows are almost ready....need to get glass/lexan for a couple that broke in the process, and add the furry stuff to my jalousie.

Still left for this weekend and early next week.
Glass/plastic for windows, put em together.
Finish flipping the axle, we're skipping new axle and trailer brakes for now due to a mix up in ordering (was gonna take 3 more weeks) SUNDAY
Drip rail on top still needs to come off and get cleaned up and reinstalled....it is a b*&^ch.
Stain and finish trim on inside
build out bed
Paint outside (Monday...at least first coat I hope) Or we could just hit the road ugly.
Install windows
Hook up battery etc... (Tuesday)
Clear DMV (Tuesday or Wednesday morning)
Hit the ROAD>>>>!!!!! Wednesday afternoon

[Redwings]

Wow! That's a long list still! It's amazing the time it takes to restore these babies.

I hope you have smooth sailing on every item. I sure wish I lived closer and could come help you out. We're just about done with our 2nd restoration--this time on my /64 Jet. Not a total gut-out like you, though.

Looking good!!

[Gone Kayaking]

well I'm hoping some of this goes pretty fast...I am not working. Or I should say....I better get to work!

[Redwings]

You must have gotten busy!

I used today to sew up a new awning for my SOB (which is going on the market soon).

Sewing was much better than the pounding and scraping and cutting and pounding and cleaning and taping and painting and .... breathe breathe. Hope you are getting everything done that you want!

[Gone Kayaking]

[glow=red,3,300]

SKIN SKIN SKIN!!!

[/glow]
This is a happy day. Had a friend help me and it was way easier than I thought thanks to the wonderful work of my sheet metal guy Chris. I didn't take pics along the way cause well, we were getting it done. Next comes the drip rail. What worked best was fitting on one side and then doing the other (after we knew it was going to fit). and leaving the middle window pieces for last to just pop in. You have to slightly bend out the pittsburgh seam at the top to get the piece to fit....this is the scary part cause you don't want to rip it. Actually I did get a little rip, but will put some metal epoxy on there and it will be fine.

[ModernMe]

Looking Good! You've really made head-way. It's great to see her coming together for you.

[vikx]

So happy for you, GK!

[Gone Kayaking]

Optimism and Stick-to-it-ive-ness is a deadly weapon to time schedules. I think that Shasta restorers must have both along with loved ones who have deep reservoirs of patience and understanding for missed deadlines.

All said, we are looking at being probably 2 weeks behind our latest revised departure date (June 14) and I am trying to inject some realism and take pride in the bits that get accomplished each day and let go of those things that seem out of my control. Can someone come up with a Shasta Serenity prayer?

Enough philosphizing...much progress to report.

Aquadream has her skin


And Windows! This is me putting in the first one!


Now if only
The trailer jack didn't break on the way to the trailer place!
if only I could get the wiring to work (well at least it's narrowed down)
And I could get those frigging (still gonna leak) dinette windows to cooperate.

[nomad]

Don't worry about the "frigging dinette windows" LOL ,they'll fall into place with all the rest you've accomplished. Your in the home stretch now and its looking great!

[Redwings]

WOW! You have gone great guns and done so much. I've had fun watching your restoration!!

[Gone Kayaking]

Another day of highs and lows in this part of the world.

First the high...and I was so excited I forgot to document it....wait for it....WE TOWED AQUADREAM OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY for the first time since she came home! Albeit just 10 miles to the trailer place but still a real milestone! there she will get her electrical finished and figured out, and a new trailer jack put in.

Went home to an empty driveway-- and an empty nest feeling overtook me. Though there is quite a mess to clean up. And still of course plenty to do.

I was envisioning a day of packing and planning and cleaning the house for our housesitters after taking my son Ben to the skate park. Phone rings 10 minutes after I've dropped him off, come get me I crashed and am hurt. Long story short, chin needed to be glued, but also spent the rest of the afternoon getting xrays etc... and learned that he's broken his arm at the elbow. Have to wait til today to see how this impacts our trip and his bid in the whitewater junior olympics.

Once I get her back later today (I hope) the plans for today and the weekend include--
dinette window
cargo doors..one of which I may seal shut.
build bed.
maybe if lucky stain
maybe maybe if everything goes right....paint. Or at least buy paint....I'm thinking this may be one of the on the road projects (am I crazy).

[shasta63]

you might be crazy (for on the road painting) but you are AMAZING!!!! ;D

[LittleVintageTrailer]

This is really coming together. I so admire you gals that are doing these resto's yourself. You inspire me to think "Heck, if they can do it...surely I could too!". When I see something that might need fixing, that is going to be my motto from now on (:

[Gone Kayaking]

Yeah Kel! Well we are hitting the road today, as soon as the new tail lights get here that is. It's still a project, but now it's a project on wheels. No bed inside but the dinette is set up. My son had the brilliant suggestion, just use one of our cots mama! And so that is likely what will happen.

Pics from the road as possible. Happy Trails everyone, and thanks for all the help, advice and encouragement.